


no question, no competition, I love you more

by MagicaLyss



Series: A Permanent Hug From You {Parkner Febufluff} [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Harley Keener Needs a Hug, Harley Keener is Tony Stark's Adopted Child, Hurt Peter Parker, M/M, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Spider-Man: Homecoming Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22595692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicaLyss/pseuds/MagicaLyss
Summary: Febufluff Day 5 & 6 – Dance Under the Stars & “I love you” “I love you more”Harley was not sulking. Absolutely not.He would not sulk over a dance he didn’t even want to go to in the first place.Just because Peter asked him to Homecoming and didn’t show up, did not mean Harley was going to sulk. He wouldn’t.
Relationships: Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Harley Keener/Peter Parker
Series: A Permanent Hug From You {Parkner Febufluff} [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620397
Comments: 7
Kudos: 383





	no question, no competition, I love you more

Harley was _not_ sulking. Absolutely not.  
  


He would not sulk over a dance he didn’t even want to go to in the first place.  
  


Just because Peter asked him to Homecoming and didn’t show up, did not mean Harley was going to sulk. He wouldn’t.  
  


“I’m going home,” he tells MJ and Ned. “Have a fun night.”  
  


“He might show,” Ned tries, eyes shining with sympathy. “He didn’t stand on you up on purpose.”  
  


Harley shrugs, trying to play it off like it’s not a big deal. “It’s whatever. I’ll see you at school.”  
  


It doesn’t matter, he tells himself over and over again as he heads out of the gym and out to the parking lot where Happy’s already waiting for him. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t care.  
  


“Hey, kiddo. You feeling already?” Happy asks, a carefully extended olive branch. He normally stays quiet and pretends Harley doesn’t exist.  
  


Harley shrugs, tucking his legs up to his chest and resting his cheek against the window. “Yeah, I’m fine… I just- I really liked him, you know?”  
  


Reaching out, obviously awkward and nervous, Happy pats the teenager on the shoulder.  
  


The car falls silent as Harley checks his phone for the millionth time.  
  


His sixteen messages ranging from casual to worried to confused to angry, are all left on delivered.  
  


Harley sniffles, turns off his phone, and focuses on the scenery blurring outside his window.  
  


  
When Harley makes it up to the penthouse, a wave of nostalgia washes over him.  
  


The whole floor is empty. Everything having been loaded onto planes while he was gone, taking everything to the new place upstate.  
  


Harley’s been living with Tony for seven years, ever since Tony crashlanded in Rose Hill and offered Harley a spot in Manhattan with access to equipment, good schooling, and opportunities. So, he moved to New York, and now they’re moving again.  
  


“Hey, kid,” Tony calls out, emerging from the kitchen with two mugs of hot chocolate. He passes one to Harley and leads him to the couch. “When I see Parker I’ll make sure to knock him upside the head for standing you up like this.”  
  


“You don’t think it was for a good reason?” Harley asks. He doesn’t know if he has faith in his best friend of five years. Peter’s always been the kind of person to drop everything for the people he cares about.  
  


Tony’s face creases in inquisition. “I have his suit. It’s in the last of the boxes we’re driving up ourselves. It’s not a hero thing.”  
  


Harley shrugs, trying not to think too hard about what that means. “I just- He was so excited when I said I’d go with him. I didn’t think he’d just _skip_. Especially not without telling me first.”  
  


Slinging an arm around the teenager’s shoulders, Tony sighs. “Maybe he just got scared. You said a stupid kid was always giving him a hard time?”  
  


“More like everyone at the school but me and Ned.”  
  


“So, maybe he just got scared that people would bully him worse for being at the dance with another guy,” Tony suggests. “Or maybe he was worried you’d get bullied for going with him.”  
  


Harley shrugs and settles closer to Tony’s side. “I just wish he’d text me back.”  
  


“How about, instead of sulking over a guy, you get into some comfy clothes and we watch one last movie here?”  
  


Harley offers a small smile, trying to shake off the awful heaviness that lingers on his shoulders.  
  


He _wants_ to be angry, but all that’s there when he reaches for those feelings is worry. He’s worried that Peter’s hurt or something happened to him because Harley doesn’t believe Peter would’ve purposefully stood him up.  
  


Even if Peter was worried about the things Tony suggested, he would’ve texted. He would’ve told Harley, or at the very least, Ned.  
  


Peter’s been Harley’s best friend for five years, ever since they started going to Midtown High together. Even when Peter became Spider-Man, the first person he told was Harley. That’s how Tony found out to take Peter to Germany.  
  


It doesn’t make sense that Peter was so excited to ask Harley to Homecoming and then he wouldn’t show. At least not without a good reason.  
  


  
*  
  
  
Hours later, Harley wakes up on the couch alone.  
  


The living room is dark, their movie long since ended. Tony’s gone. Their hot chocolates have been cleared away.  
  


Harley’s phone is ringing. That’s what must’ve woken him up.  
  


Eighteen texts from Peter, nearly as many from Ned. Four missed calls from Peter, as well. And Peter’s calling him again.  
  


“What do you want?” he asks, voice thick with sleep and rough with anger.  
  


“I have a good reason for everything. I promise. Just… Come outside. Please?”  
  


Harley sighs harshly. He’s wearing his pajamas and it’s nearly one in the morning. The last thing he wants to do is go outside. But it’s _Peter_ who’s asking him.  
  


Peter who sounds hurt, upset, exhausted. “Please?”  
  


“Fine. But I don’t give second chances easily, Parker. You better have some wild explanation for me.”  
  


When Harley makes it outside, to the back lawn according to Peter’s instructions, he nearly collapses.  
  


Peter’s wearing his old suit, the stupid sweatpants and hoodie, sans mask. With his suit jacket over top and his tie hanging untied around his neck loosely. There’s a string of fairlylights strewn in the tree he’s leaning against.  
  


Worst of all, his ‘suit’ is stained dark red with what Harley can only assume is blood. He’s cradling one arm against his chest, breaths escaping him in little pained wheezes. There’s a nasty cut across his temple, already mostly closed but blood is drying all down his cheek and jaw.  
  


“Holy fuck, Parker,” he breathes, hurrying across the grass to the boy. “Are you okay?”  
  


Peter frowns, looking down at his suit like he didn’t even realize he wouldn’t be okay. “Oh shoot, I probably should’ve cleaned up a little better.”  
  


He looks up at Harley, a little bashfully, and shrugs. “S’alright. It doesn’t hurt too much.”  
  


“Fuck, what happened to you?”  
  


“Toomes tried to take your plane,” Peter explains, crinkling his nose. “Had to make sure he didn’t get away with it. I’m really sorry about-”  
  


Harley shoots him a glare. “Don’t you dare apologize for being a hero, dumbass, I don’t care. I need to get you to a doctor or something.”  
  


Shaking his head, Peter pulls his cracked phone out of his pocket. It takes him a second of fumbling, fingers looking burned, to get it open, but he does and a moment later, a song starts playing.  
  


Harley doesn’t recognize it, but it’s obvious what Peter’s suggesting.  
  


“I didn’t get to dance with you at homecoming, but this is the next best thing, right?”  
  


The fairy lights in the tree, the suit jacket and tie, the music. It’s Peter’s version of the homecoming he couldn’t make it to.  
  


Harley opens his mouth to, he doesn’t even know, call Peter a dumbass? Or crazy? Instead, no words escape his throat. He just gapes at the boy standing across from him with wide hopeful eyes, and tries to blink back the tears in his eyes.  
  


Peter lifts his hand out to Harley, a shy smile on his face. “You wanna dance?”  
  


“First,” Harley finally says, closing the distance between them. He grabs Peter’s untied tie. “Let’s fix this.”  
  


Peter shrugs, breathing still painfully off, and his hands are shaking as he tucks his phone into the pocket of Harley’s sweats. “Never learned how to.”  
  


Once the tie is tied, Harley carefully wraps his arms around Peter’s waist.  
  


Peter, obviously exhausted, leans into Harley’s chest gratefully. “Thank you for not hating me.”  
  


The older teenager shrugs, sniffing. “You’re a superhero, Peter. I can’t be mad at you for not putting me before everyone else. You took down _Toomes_ , I can’t be angry for that. You could’ve texted me, though. I was worried sick.”  
  


“Left my phone in Toomes’s car. Met him in the parking lot when he was dropping off Liz. I stole Flash’s phone and called Ned to track mine so I could follow him.”  
  


“For a genius, you can be so dumb, Parker. You could’ve, I don’t know, called for _backup_. You didn’t have to-”  
  


Peter shrugs. “I just wanted to do something right for once. Now, we’re dancing, aren’t we?”  
  


Harley does most of the movement, the other boy falling mostly limp against Harley. With all the injuries, Harley’s surprised he hasn’t passed out yet, but it’s obvious Peter wants this dance.  
  


“Look.” Harley nudges Peter, getting him to lift his head. “You can see the stars.”  
  


Normally, with all the air pollution in the city and all the lights, the stars are hard to see. Tonight, they shine nice and brilliantly overhead like they’re watching over them.  
  


Peter smiles dopily, resting his chin on Harley’s shoulder. “I wanna do this every day.”  
  


“What? Dance?”  
  


“Mm, ‘n hold you.”  
  


Harley can’t help the blush that touches his face, pulling Peter a little tighter against him. “Me too… I really like you, Peter, I have for a long time.”  
  


Peter, face hidden mostly in Harley’s shirt, laughs against him. “Me too. Forever. Wanna be forever.”  
  


They don’t have to say it. It doesn’t have to be made official. Harley doesn’t have to ask Peter to be his boyfriend, everything passes between them silently, as Harley sways them from side to side to the music.  
  


If there’s anything Harley’s learned from living with Tony and Pepper is that superheroing makes life complicated. It makes the idea of permanency seem impossible. It makes everything feel like it’s sped up to the extreme.  
  


Because you never know if you’ll get even another day with a superhero.  
  


“I love you,” Harley murmurs, pressing a kiss to Peter’s forehead. He needs Peter to know. Just in case.  
  


He’d beat himself up for the rest of his life if something happened to Peter and Harley never got the chance to say it. With how bloody and limp Peter already is in Harley’s arms, the thought of losing the hero is already something Harley has to think about every single day. Just in case.  
  


“I love you more,” Peter says against Harley’s collarbone.  
  


Smiling, Harley presses another kiss to Peter’s temple. “Don’t think that’s possible, love, but I’ll let you win this time.”  
  


**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](https://lyssismagical.tumblr.com/)
> 
> (also just ignore that this is bad and stupid lmao i'm tired but wanted to get the chapter up anyways oops)


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